


Almost Miracle

by angelus2hot



Category: Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Genre: Episode Related, Gen, Gen Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-24
Updated: 2011-06-24
Packaged: 2017-10-20 17:02:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/215023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelus2hot/pseuds/angelus2hot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a reason he shouldn't believe in miracles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Almost Miracle

**Author's Note:**

> **Title:** Almost Miracle  
>  **Fandom:** Hercules the Legendary Journeys  
>  **Pairing/Characters:** Hercules, Nemesis, Iolaus  
>  **Rating:** PG  
>  **Word Count:** 1,270  
>  **Prompt:** Hercules the Legendary Journeys Hercules He stopped believing in miracles a long time ago  
>  **A/N:** Set during the Season Four Episode Two Men and A Baby. Written for smallfandomfest's [Fest 09](http://smallfandomfest.livejournal.com/360931.html)

Silently, Nemesis watched as Hercules held her son in his arms. She knew she shouldn't do this, especially not to Hercules. And she would give anything if there was any other way but she didn't have a choice, she had to protect her son. "We need to talk." She whispered softly so she wouldn't disturb the sleeping baby as she walked into the clearing. _That was an understatement and a half._

"Can I go first? There's something I need to say." At her nod, Hercules held the tiny baby in his arms and waited for Nemesis to sit down beside him before he began to say what was on his mind. "There's something about this baby. I know it's going to sound crazy but I feel a connection to him. Almost as if I know him and he knows me." He turned to look at Nemesis. "I mean before today."

Nemesis smiled at her son in the arms of the first man she had ever loved. He looked so natural holding a baby. "No, it doesn't sound crazy at all. I'm glad you feel that connection. You should. After all he's your son."

A shocked look quickly spread across his face as the words she said finally sunk in. He was a father? Again? The news was a complete shock to him. How could that be? Of course he knew it was a possibility, after all he and Nemesis had done.... But for some reason the risk of making a baby had never crossed his mind. _Obviously, he should have thought about it._ Hercules shook his head. But it didn't matter now.

After losing his sons and daughter, through Hera's anger and jealousy, he had never believed he would be given the chance to ever be that lucky again. The truth was he had thought he would never want another chance. Deianeira and his kids had meant the world to him. Every moment of happiness in his life was due to them. Her love had made him a man and a father. Without her he would never have been who was now. And when he had lost them he had lost all hope of ever being truly happy.

It was amazing what one tiny little bundle of joy and the words _his son_ could do to change his perspective. Now he wanted all those things he had been missing for all those years. He wanted it all. A home. A family. But most of all he wanted the chance to watch his son grow up into a good, strong, happy man. The kind of man who would always put other people ahead of himself.

Hercules was so lost in the joy of finding out he was a father again he missed the pained expression that quickly flashed across Nemesis' face as she watched him holding the baby. He didn't see the tears that sprang to her eyes before she quickly blinked them away. He was too busy cooing at his son.

Tears of happiness filled his eyes as he held the baby. There was so many things he wanted to show him. So many things he wanted to teach him. _He had a son!_ As he stared down at the baby, he couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face at those few words. It was amazing how one little phrase could make him so happy. His son. He couldn't think it often enough. He wanted to shout it for the world to hear.

Hercules quickly looked up as Iolaus sat down beside him. He pulled the blanket further away from the baby's face to give his best friend a better look. "He's my son."

"He's beautiful, Herc." Iolaus couldn't help but smile in return at the look of complete and utter joy written across his best friend's face. It had been a very long time since he had seen Hercules look this happy, this content. Hercules smiled and laughed just like he had before Deianeira and his kids were killed. It was almost as if the pain he had felt since the lost of his first family was gone. Or at the very least a healing salve had finally been applied on to the crippling wound. Iolaus hoped and prayed that this time the gods would leave Hercules and his family alone.

 

For a few brief hours, not many compared to the lifetime of joy he should have had, Hercules was deliriously happy. He had a son. And nothing in the world was going to hurt him or come between them. He vowed that this time Hera nor any other god would ever take his family away again, he wouldn't allow it. No matter what he had to do, he wasn't going to lose his son. Not ever.

But like most things in Hercules' life it wasn't meant to last. It was almost as if fate had it in for him. He knew most of the gods didn't want him to be happy but this time his despair didn't have anything to do with any of the gods. It came from someone he trusted. Someone who he would have never thought would hurt him. It wasn't a physical hurt, this kind of pain was much worse. And it was brought on by mere words. All too soon he had heard the words that would break his heart into a million tiny pieces. And he wasn't sure he would ever be able to recover.

 _I'm sorry, Hercules. He's not your son. He's Ares' son._ Those words had taken away every moment of happiness he had felt in the last few hours. To tell him he had a son and then take it away was just too cruel to bare, even for a half god. He wanted to rage against the injustice of it. He wanted to scream at all of the gods, Nemesis and anyone else he could think of for the pain that he was in but he couldn't. Even through his hurt and his anger, he understood why Nemesis had felt the need to lie. He wished she had told him the truth from the beginning. It would have saved him from this agony. But it was too late, there was nothing he could do but try to bare it just like he had done before.

After he managed to get the whole story from Nemesis, Hercules was able to save the baby and Nemesis from Ares. And now there was only one thing left for him to do. Hercules kneeled on the ground in front of the baby. A brave smile wavered on his face as he gripped the side of the basket. Carefully, he leaned in and began to softly speak. Hercules told the baby boy about all the things he wanted to do with him. All the things he had wanted to teach him, all the things he would do with him every chance he got. And even though the little baby boy was too young to comprehend what he was saying, Hercules told him how much he loved him and how much he wished he was his father. But most of all he was telling his almost son goodbye.

As he stood and walked away his heart broke for all the things that could have been. For a brief moment he had let himself believe he could be a father again. That he could be happy, that he deserved it. He had let himself believe in the miracle. But he should have remembered he had stopped believing in miracles a long time ago.


End file.
